Choosing a business collaboration software is an important step for many companies, especially companies that have pivoted largely to remote work. However, if you’re choosing your first-ever business collaboration software, you might not know how to choose one that will work for you. If you’re putting time, effort, and money into choosing a useful collaboration software, here are three questions you should ask to determine the right option.

1. How Many Projects Does Your Business Typically Run Each Year?

Depending on the number of projects your business runs, you might need more or less robust project management tools. For example, if you’re regularly taking on multiple clients that have robust custom needs, you’ll probably need a tool that has the ability to cross-reference different projects and help you along on multiple paths.

However, if you’re just a retail business with a single location that never does custom orders for people, you’re going to need a much less robust option for your company. The choices that you make will have a lot to do with how much customization and individualization you do for your business.

2. Will Your Collaboration Software Integrate Well With Existing Software?

If you already have a specific software that your company is working with, it’s probably going to be best to stick with that software. For example, if your company uses Google Apps or Microsoft 365 sitewide, there’s no need to move to a collaboration software option that requires you to take on other third-party software. An option that works with that software will be best.

The good news is that most apps are already compatible with the most common company apps out there. Many collaboration software options, for example, are compatible with Google Apps, and the .docx file, which is the Microsoft Docs file, is accepted basically everywhere. Just make sure that your software has built-in integration with your existing software for best results.

3. How Much Does Your Business Rely on Remote Work Collaboration?

The more your business needs to utilize your business collaboration software, the more crucial it is that you find a software that fits perfectly with your needs. You might be able to deal with occasional glitches and annoying workarounds if you’re using this software once or twice a week, but if you’re using it every day, it can impede your productivity.

This is an especially important question with many companies moving to part-time or full-time remote work due to COVID-19. If you’re not expecting many of those workers to come back in person, you might want to invest more on finding a good collaboration software.

Conclusion

Finding a good collaboration software is absolutely possible, but you need to put in a bit of work to do it. Don’t just assume that you’ll be able to work with the first software that crosses your dashboard. If you put in a bit more effort, you’ll be able to find a software that boosts your company’s overall productivity, becoming a genuine benefit for the organization.